3-31 Cesar Chavez

by Zachary Pavlik news@dailylobo.com @zachpavlik Hundreds of Albuquerque residents united Saturday morning to commemorate the life of a workers’ rights icon. The March for Justice, which began at the National Hispanic Cultural Center, was a part of the center’s 21st annual César Chávez Day celebration. Attendees walked the loop downtown and marched 2.5 miles in Chávez’s honor. Sayrah Namaste is co-chair of the Recuerda a César Chávez Committee, which has helped to organize the event for the last four years. She said the march aimed to memorialize the past struggles of workers fighting for their rights. “I think it’s an important part of our history, to remember American heroes like César Chávez,” Namaste said. “We’re all workers, so being able to celebrate what workers did to stand up for better wages, better working conditions and against exploitation is a part of the American story.” Namaste said the march is relevant to general community issues — that it is not exclusive to the movement César Chávez spearheaded. “The event itself is about honoring César Chávez and the farm worker movement and the idea of social justice, human rights, worker rights, labor rights and immigrant rights,” she said. “But it is a community march, and so whatever is happening in the community is reflected in the march. There are a lot of people here talking about immigration reform. We also see people today who are talking about police brutality.” Attendees of the march included students, veterans, bands, school groups, political figures and entire families. Consuelo Gonzalez, a junior law student at UNM and co-president of the Mexican-American Law Student Association at the UNM School of Law, said her organization was one of the student organizations in attendance. She said one of the march’s most important goals is to raise awareness about Cesar Chavez and all that he did for the state. “I have a younger sister who is a freshman in college and began a class in which the professor asked, ‘How many of you know who César Chávez was?,’” she said. “And she was the only one who raised her hand. I think here in New Mexico we have an obligation to commemorate this individual who stood up for what has developed this community.” During the march, attendees raised signs stating, “¡Si se puede!,” “Take a stand!” and “Go César!” Amaru O’Brien, 6, marched along Eighth Street carrying a sign that read “Viva la causa.” He was one of many young children participating in the event. O’Brien said he enjoyed the march, and he was there to recognize the amazing man César Chávez was. “I like it,” O’Brien said. “It’s to celebrate a man who was a very good person.” Chuy Martinez, 61, one of the original founders of the Recuerda a César Chávez Committee, said the young generation is vital to the movement and its future. Martinez said it is important for students and for young people to be aware of current events and issues relevant to today’s society and community. “It is the students and the young people who need to keep this alive,” Martinez said, “We need that generation to get educated on all the social issues, not just the farm workers’ issues — every issue that is going on right now.”